Knockdown utility cabinet



Oct. 17, 1944.

Zak i A. STONE KNOCK-DOWN UTILITY CABINET Filed Jan. :50, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Abraham S Z0126 /IT70KNEYS Oct. 17, 1944. A. STONE 2,360,452

KNOCK-DOWN UTILI'IAY CABINET Filed Jan. so, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 ,a; *5 A m 20 INVENTOR.

Abra/72am Stone BY I 7 6% PW Patented Oct. 17, 1944 KNOCKDOWN UTILITY CABINET.

Abraham Stone, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 30, 1943, Serial No. 474,072

2 Claims.

This invention relates to portable knock-down utility storage cabinets for wearing apparel such asgarments which are usually constructed of corrugated card board, paper board, fiber board or an equivalent light weight inexpensive material reinforced with a rigid wooden framing and the invention is particularly directed to a knockdown shelved unit adapted to interfit with a cabinet of the character set forth to define together therewith compartments for the accommodation of shoes, slippers or similar articles.

It is the broad purpose of the present invention to provide in conjunction with a cabinet of .the indicated character, a foldable knock-down shelved unit preferably fashioned from corrugated card board, paper board, fiber board or the like having rigid wooden edge strips which not only serve to reinforce the same but function to lnterfit with the wooden framing of the cabinet in such a manner as to locate and retain the unit in its set-up condition and in properly associated relation with the cabinet.

The invention further resides in a shelved unit which is constructed so as to provide a collapsible knock-down structure which together with its shelf may be readily folded to a fiat compact arrangement whereby it may be packed with the folded cabinet so as to occupy a minimum amount of space for storage and shipment.

With these and other objects in view, the invention is disclosed in greater detail in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of a portable knockdown utility storage cabinet illustrating a. shelved unit constructed in accordance with the invention in active set-up position fitted within the cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shelved unit removed from the cabinet and arranged in setup condition.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the shelved unit in partially collapsed folded condition.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional plan view taken horizontally through the cabinet and illustrating the shelved unit arranged in place therein.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front to rear vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 66 of Fi 4.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the storage cabinet which is of the portalble knock-down type includes a body A preferably constructed of inexpensive light weight material such as corrugated card board, paper board, fiber board or the like and has the forward edges of the side Walls l0 thereof fitted and secured within the longitudinally grooved vertical side stiles ll of a rigid front frame B fashioned of wood. The front frame B in the present instance includes in addition to the side stiles H, a central stile I2 parallel to the side stiles and defining together with the upper and lower horizontal frame strips [3, a pair of door openings which are adapted to be closed by hinged doors l4 and [5. The cabinet also includes substantially identical top and bottom members C secured in telescopically associated relation with the upper and lower ends of the body A and are also connected respectively with the upper and lower ends of the front frame B.

The foldab-le or collapsible shelved unit designated genlerally by the reference character D is fashioned from a length of inexpensive light weight sheet material similar to that of the cabinet body and the same is scored and bent into rectangular form to provide top and bottom walls It and I! and side walls l8 and 19, the bottom wall I! being formed with a flap 20 which overlies the side wall l8 and is permanently secured thereto by suitable fastening means 2|. This provides a hollow rectangular structure which may be collapsed or folded, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to a substantially flat condition with the top and side walls l6 and I9 disposed in substantially the same plane and arranged approximately parallel with the bottom and side walls l1 and I8 which are swung to a position where they are disposed in substantially the same plane.

The unit D is provided with one or more shelves, only one shelf 22 being shown in the present disclosure and the same is illustrated as formed of a material similar .to the material of which the [body of the unit is constructed. The shelf is scored and bent at the: opposite ends thereof to provide hinge flaps 23 and 24 extending respectively upwardly and downwardly and secured to the opposite side walls l8 and I9 by any suitable means such as the fasteners 25 whereby the shelf may fold compactly with the unit D when the same is collapsed with shelf thus lying between the walls of the unit.

In order to reenforce the forward edge portions of the top wall l6 and the shelf 22, rigid strips 26 and 21 of wood or an equivalent material are secured thereto longitudinally of said edges. The strips 26 and 21 are rabbeted at the lower inner corners so as to cover and protect the edges of the top wall and shelf when placing articles in the unit and removing the same therefrom. The strips 26 and 21 in addition to serving the purposes heretofore mentioned, also function to interfit with and between one of the vertical side stiles II and the central stile I2 in order to retain the unit D in set-up condition properly located within the cabinet A For this purpose, it will be observed that the strips 26 and 21 protrude forwardly from the edges of the upper wall I6 and shelf 22 and that said strips are cut to a length corresponding approximately to the spacing of the side and central stiles to have a binding fit therebetween.

In use, it will be noted when the unit D is installed within the cabinet A that the bottom wall I! of the unit rests fiatly upon the upper surface of the bottom member C with the forward edge of said bottom wall [1 located behind and protected by the lower horizontal frame strip l3 of the cabinet while the side walls I8 and IQ of the unit have their forward edges located in rear of and protected by the side and central stiles II and 12 of the front frame B of the cabinet, the side wall iii of the unit being in fiat contact with the side wall H! of the cabinet body. The unit D is of such a depth as to snugly fit the cabinet between the rear wall of the body and the front frame B.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knock-down storage cabinet of the type which includes a collapsible body having end and side walls constructed of light weight corrugated cardboard and a rigid wooden front frame having spaced parallel rigid vertical stiles and a lower horizontal frame strip, a collapsible shelved unit constructed of light weight corrugated cardboard and consisting of hingedly connected top, bottom and side walls and a shelf hingedly secured at its opposite ends to the side walls thereof to define a hollow rectangular structure open at the front and rear and adapted to be disposed within the cabinet upon the bottom wall thereof and with a side wall in flat contact with a side wall of the body and to snugly fit between the rear wall thereof and the front frame and protecting and reinforcing strips secured to and extending longitudinally of the forward edges of the shelf and top wall of the unit and frictionally fitting between said vertical stiles to retain the unit in upright relation within the cabinet and said unit being removable from the cabinet by displacing said reinforcing strips from between said vertical stiles for collapsing the same to fiat compact form for storage or shipment.

2. In a utility storage cabinet of the type which includes a body having rear, side and end walls and a wooden front frame composed of spaced vertical parallel stiles and a horizontal frame strip, a shelved unit consisting of hingedly associated top, bottom and side walls and a shelf secured at its opposite ends to the side walls of the unit to define a hollow rectangular structure adapted to be laterally collapsed into flat condition with the top and a side wall disposed in substantially the same plane and parallel with the bottom and opposite side wall and said unit being adapted to be disposed in set up condition within the cabinet with adjacent walls thereof in contact with a side and an end wall of the body of the cabinet and with the opposite ends snugly fitting between the rear wall of the body and front frame whereby the forward edges of the side walls of said unit are disposed behind and protected by the vertical stiles of the front frame and protecting and reinforcing strips secured to and extending longitudinally of the forward edges of two of the shelf forming walls of said unit and frictionally fitted between said vertical stiles to retain the unit in upright relation within the cabinet and prevent the same from lateral collapsing.

ABRAHAM STONE. 

